The rise of Alex Hook » Manila Bulletin Entertainment

At a young age, Canadian teen Alex Hook is already getting her big break via Nickelodeon’s “I Am Frankie.”

Alex Hook with the other cast members of ‘I Am Frankie’

In a recent exclusive phone interview with Bulletin Entertainment, the actress revealed getting to where she is now wasn’t easy.

“There’s a lot of rejection (along the way). When I tried to audition for a show or a movie I sometimes don’t always get it,” she recalled.

Still, she remained optimistic noting, “That’s something you really can’t take personally and you just pick up from that and keep going and you never give up.”

One of the reasons she’s eager to become a well-known actress is that it’s a cherished dream.

“I started acting when I was around seven years old and ever since then I’m just auditioning, doing commercials but nothing nearly as big as this and then I finally got this part after many, many years.”

She likes being an actress as it allows her to temporarily pretend to be someone else.

“I always thought it was really cool even from my young age that I get to pretend to be someone I’m not. So I could be someone completely different or someone similar to me. Sometimes they’re old, they’re young and have different interest so I always thought it would be cool to kinda play someone else for a day,” Alex said.

Normal teenager

Though Alex is likely on her way to the big league, she still prioritizes her studies.

The 15-year-old revealed she and character Frankie have some similarities.

“Frankie and I are both curious, Frankie is more curious when it comes to school when making friends and I’m more curious in new activities and new hobbies or seeing the world. And we’re just both kinda curious and love to learn new things but at the same time we love making friends and hanging out with our friends and family as well,” she said.

A scene from ‘I Am Frankie’

One of the common problems some high school students encounter is peer pressure, which will be tackled on “I Am Frankie.”

“I think it’s very common in high school especially the first couple of years just ‘cause you’re new to everyone so there’s gonna be a lot of peer pressure and lot of social pressure but you just kinda learn to live with it and know how to react to it,” she said.

Say, what’s a typical teenager anyway?

“I think a typical teenager is just kinda someone who’s just learning, really. Everyday they learn something new whether its with friend or with family,” she said. “You experience all these things when you’re a teenager and you know you’re old enough to do certain things or not old enough quite yet to do other, it’s kinda just one big learning course work for teenager.”

Robotic

In preparing for the role, Alex has been watching such titles as “Big Bang Theory” and “Lucy.”

“I watch a lot of robotic type things and they all speak very mono-tone and very rigid when they act. So I kinda use a lot of that when portraying Frankie and so it just makes it seem so real,” she maintained.

The actress described her character as this new girl in school who is secretly an android.

“Since she’s a robot she kinda lack in some area so she’s very new to the whole world and making friends, making crushes. And basically the whole thing is like a learning experience for her but at the same time she has to hide the fact that she’s a robot. So she just have to pretend that she’s a normal human.”

Alex as Frankie

Is playing a robot hard?

“At first it was kinda hard to master it I guess, but after a while, after I’m doing it for so long I got used to being Frankie and I got used to how she is and how she would act or talk or react in the situation. So at first it was kinda, you know, learning process, but then after a while I just kinda became her,” she revealed.

Best lesson

Alex is thankful that through the show, among the most important lessons she learned is to always “trust in yourself and take responsibility.”

“A lot of times, you know – like with Frankie’s mom, she has a hard time letting Frankie go and experiencing things on her own just ‘cause she think Frankie might messed up or got hurt. But I think a lot of time it’s important to trust in yourself and take responsibility. Be responsible, go have fun but do it safely. And always stay close to your family as well,” she explained.

She is excited “I Am Frankie” her will be aired in different countries including the Philippines.

“I think it’s amazing. I think it’s such a good idea to show the show not only in the States but also in so many countries around the world because though it’s different places, different languages, everyone can still watch the show and can still relate. It’s nice to have that bond between each other,” she shared.